And it did not respond to people's concerns. Before long, Batista's government became corrupt and his leadership proved incompetent. Unemployment was high; almost half of the rural population was illiterate. Diseases such as tuberculosis and typhus were rampant; water infrastructure was limited. Organized crime was too powerful. The typical family living arrangement was a thatched hut. Cuban industries were run by the United States. Economically the country was in chaos. Apart from the intellectuals of Havana, the general population was not aware of the unrest in the government and was not yet at the point of